Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kyrgyzstan for two days to attend a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States, an organization made up of former Soviet republics. This is Putin’s first foreign trip since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest for alleged war crimes.
Putin is also expected to travel to China next week for the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. In a meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on Thursday, Putin emphasized Russia’s importance as a trade partner and said the two sides would develop cooperation. Putin also highlighted the growth in Russian-Kyrgyz trade, which analysts are concerned is due to sanctions-busting by Russian businesses. Last week, the Kyrgyzstan central bank urged local banks to improve compliance with Western sanctions against Moscow.
Read More: Russia’s Putin makes rare visit to Kyrgyzstan despite ICC arrest warrant
